Safety-lock



J. B. MALYS.

SAFETY LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 5. 1918.

1,337,085, Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

nveuioz Quorum,

JOSEPH B. MALYS, OF EAST YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

SAFETY-LOOK.

Application filed November 5, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, JOSEPH B. MALYs, a citizen of Poland, and a declarant in U. S., residing at East Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to looks, and has for its object the provision of a lock in which the key receiving opening does not conform to the shape of the key, this look being used in connection with a key in which the bit is pivotally connected with the shank thereof so that upon insertion of the key within the key hole the bit will be automatically folded or swung into a position within the shank, a spring being provided within the shankof the key for projecting the bit into operative position when the shank has been passed through the key-hole, the purpose of this construction being to prevent the taking of wax impressions from the key-hole of a lock to serve as a guide for the construction for making of a false key.

An important object is the provision of a locking mechanism of this character in which the key bit is so mounted in respect to the shank that the swinging of the bit to a position within the shank will be automatically effected upon insertion of the shank into the key-hole or withdrawal there from.

A further object is the provision of a device of this character which will be extremely simple and inexpensive in manufacture, highly efficient in use, durable in service and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a padlock constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a key to be used in connection therewith, the bit of the key being in operative position,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the key with the bit swung within the shank in the position assumed when the shank is inserted through the key-hole in the paddock.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the bit of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Serial No. 261,299.

key swung in the opposite direction as when the shank is withdrawn from the key hole.

F 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the key, and

Fig. 6 is a detail cross sectional view. Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 10 designates a padlock of any ordinary form and in carrying out my invention the padlock is provided with a circular key hole 11. In connection with the lock 10, I employ a key 1:2 comprising a cylindrical shank 13 having one end provided with a handle 14 and the other recessed as shown at Pivoted within the recess 15, as shown at 16, is the key bit 17 which of course has its operating end so formed as to properly engage the wards within the lock. Secured within the recess 15 and bearing upon the edge of the bit 17 is a leaf spring 18 the function of which is to hold the bit 17 in a position for opera tive a -tion upon the mechanism of the lock 10. The spring has a right angularly bent free end 19 adapted to engage the forward edge of the bit when the bit is swung in one direction, and the spring is provided with a bent portion 20 adapted to engage the rear edge of the bit. At this point, it is pointed out that the width of the bit 17 must not be greater than the diameter of the shank 13 so that when the bit 17 is swung into either of the positions shown in Figs. 3 and at it will be entirely confined within the recess In the use of my lock, and key, a shank 13 of the key is inserted through the hole 11, whereupon the bit 17 will rotate upon the pivot 16 as soon as the bit 17 engages the front of the lock adjacent the opening 11. As the operator continues to push upon the shank 13, the bit 17 will be rotated to a sufficient extent to be disposed entirely within the recess 15 so that the shank 13 will freely enter the hole 11. After the shank 13 has been pushed sufficiently far within the hole 11 that the bit 17 will be in proper position for engaging the wards of the lock, the resilience of the spring 18 will return the bit 17 to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2,

. whereupon rotation of the key will result in unlocking of the lock 10. When the key is withdrawn from the lock, the engagement of the bit 17 with the inner face of the front wall of the lock adjacent the hole 11 will result in the bit 17 being swung into the opposite position, as shown in Fig. 4 with the bit 17 disposed entirely within the recess 13. A continued pull upon the shank 13 will result in Withdrawal thereof from the hole 11, after Which the bit 17 will be returned to its normal position by virtue of the spring 18.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawing it will be apparent that I have thus provided a lock and key in which the formation of the key hole is such as to afford no clue as to the shape of the key in connection With the look.

It will therefore be seen that the construction is such as to thwart any attempt of an unauthorized person to ascertain the nature of the key which must be used for opening the lock.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will of course be readily understood that I may make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention nor the scope of the subjoined claim, it being readily apparent that the construction may be applied to locks of any character and not merely to padlocks as illustrated in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention I claim In combination, a lock provided with a circular key hole, and a key including a cylindrical shank of a diameter to pass freely through said hole, said shank being provided at one end With a longitudinally extending recess, a bit pivoted within said recess and movable to occupy a position entirely therewithin with its end extending toward either end of said shank, and a leaf spring secured at one end within said recess engaging against one end of said bit for normally holding said bit in a position projecting at right angles from said shank, engagement of said bit with the look upon insertion or removal of the shank within or from said hole resulting in swinging movement of said bit to its inactive position, said spring having its free end laterally bent and engageable with the forward edge of the bit for resiliently opposing swinging movement of the bit in one direction, and the spring having a bent portion adapted to engage the rear edge of the bit for opposing swinging of the bit in the other direction.

In testimony'whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH B. MALYS, 

